, 1887-11-22

they fired the rockets. | waited until the
water touched the bow, putting out the
fires, and then | got hold of a belt, but a
Dutch sailor snatched it away. We were
all mixed together, foreigners and Eng
llsh clInging to one another in the water.
| saw several drowned in this way and
had the greatest difficulty to keep clear of
them.
Il gave a spar to a woman to hold on
to. The Dutch sailors wanted to save
themselves, and they even
THRUST THE WOMEN ASIDE.
I can swim well. and | swan about till |
got to the Embro, where a rope was
thrown to me. After the collision | vent
down into the cabin and awoke two Dutch
ladies'. but they were paralyzed with ter
ror and wouldn't get up, despite all my
entreatIes. | heard other complaints
about the conduct of the Dutch sailors.
The confusion was extreme, as everybody
seemed terror stricken, and this NAV &C
for the apparent want of discipline.
The frantic passengers unnerved some of
the crew, preventing them from acting as
bravely as they might have done. The
captain did his best to restore order. |
believe a good lookout was kept. We had
our lights up"
Mr.. Appleby. one of the passengers
saved, said: Il was IN my berth, as also
we're many others, when the crash came.
[ Immediately rushed on deck, folio we'd
by a confused crowd. Upon reaching the
deck, l did not think anything much was
the matter until | saw that the port bow was
stove in close to the rigging ana laid open
for a great space. The passengers and
crew crowded the deck, and the captain
and officers shouted that the boats would
be lowered. The vessel was then settling
down by her head, and the excitement
was at its height.
II had hardly time to look around me
before the vessel listed over on her port
side, throwing the passengers to that side
of the vessel. Most of the boats were
her worthless. Two boats on the port
side were swung out and lowered, but the
other six were useless. While the sail
ors were endeavoring to lower the boats
the passengers hindered them by rushing
frantically against them. The crew tried
to keep the passengers back, thus losing
valuable time. When the boats were
finally lowered there was arush to get into
them. | tried to, but | did not stand a
chance, Then | decided to trust to a life
belt.
The scene on deck was appalling.
The passengers and crew were crowded
together, and the shrieks of the women
and the cries of the children and the
shouts of the men were frightful Some
of the passengers were on their knees
praying.
A STRUGGLE IL II WATER.
when the Scbolten sunk beneath our
feet there was a struggle In the icy water.
The most of us had belts. Sarah Gold,
Stepney Robson and L kept together.
We chung to each other and drifted to-
wards the Embro, finally reaching that
vessel" The second officer declares that
every %precaution had been taken on board
the Scholten, a good lookout was kept
and Captain Taat not only had the ordi
nary watch on the bridge at the time of
the disaster, but all of the officers, who
intended to remain there until the vessel
was fairly down the channel. The cap
tain was last seen at his post trying to
quiet the passengers and set the boats off.
Many of those whose bodies have been
recovered look as if they had been frozen
to death.